Meuser Library in Wilson sets out to prove it's friendly

Institution will seek designation as a Family Place. It has joined a national group that will judge its services to young and old.

December 28, 2007|By Angel R. Ackerman Special to The Morning Call - Freelance

The Mary Meuser Library in Wilson has always considered itself a family-friendly place, with helpful librarians and story times.

After two years of planning and community support, the library has capitalized on that spirit by joining the Family Place Libraries network and working toward its official designation as a Family Place Library.

It would join other region libraries in Easton, Bethlehem, Quakertown and Pottsville by earning that title.

Among other criteria, libraries in the network must have welcoming spaces for families to read, collections targeted at families (from board books for babies to parenting information), partnerships with community agencies and special five-week workshops for toddlers and their caregivers. The Meuser Library will debut its parent-child workshop in the spring.

Staff members at Meuser hope their efforts will transform how people think of and use the small community library. It's not just a place to grab a book and go. Librarians at Meuser want the public to consider the library a destination, said Natasha Stanton, children's services librarian.

It's a place where families can come for help finding information, not just books. The staff hopes families will make the library a destination: a safe, educational place to spend time. It's a place to sit and read, alone or to a child.

People need to understand how libraries have changed, Stanton said. The staff at Meuser provides as much one-on-one help as it can with books, the Internet and brochures.

Family Place libraries aim to meld services for adults and children and design family-oriented activities that promote literacy starting at birth. Yes, that means bringing babies and toddlers to the library, even if they play with toys in cozy seating areas.

"One of the best parts of the program is the practicality. It's not a program as much as a philosophy," said Stanton.

The library obtained a $17,000 grant from the state to pay for staff training, changes to the library and new materials such as books, toys and furnishings. The state has pushed the Family Place concept as part of the Department of Education's early childhood development emphasis. In some libraries, families were not considered traditional users, Stanton said.

Stanton said evidence of community support facilitated the grant. The library already had received donations, such as $3,000 from Two Rivers Health and Wellness Foundation, furnishings from Ashley Development, fixtures from the Barnes and Noble and money from Wal-Mart.

There's a new parenting collection and a community services information center literally on the front wall. The parenting section, while small, received a lot of positive feedback from users, said Daniel Redington, library director. The information center directs people to available social services, such as heat assistance.

The Family Place program also has required altering the adult collections.

Janet Kichline, adult services librarian, has searched for key pieces and genres that will provide more for adults and teens. Because of space constraints, young adults make an underserved population at Meuser, so Kichline and Stanton have highlighted some authors who bridge the gap.

"Everyone can find something they enjoy," Kichline said.

Stanton said she hopes the designation will increase the library's local visibility. Many Wilson residents don't even know they have a library.

The Family Place network allows participating libraries to share information and ideas.

Angel R. Ackerman is a freelance writer.

WHERE LIBRARIES BOAST A FAMILY ATMOSPHERE

The Family Place Libraries network includes more than 220 libraries in 24 states. The program started in 1996 when Libraries for the Future highlighted programming at Middle Country Public Library in Centereach, N.Y.